Lost and Found
by The Genius Mage
Summary: Is this a curse or a dream come true, me waking up to looking like you? A drabble on Shiki, with some Shiki and Eri friendship and NekuxShiki.


Lost and Found

_**I intend to look into each character's personality, I already did Rhyme, but everyone's is going to be done differently.**_

_**Spoilers for the entire game. I proudly present "Lost and Found".**_

~***~

There were things she was sure of, since she had met her new friend. She was certain she was inferior, that _her friend _was superior, and in the throes of her envy she compared every action to her friend's and saw nothing but failure in her motives and ways. Like an ember to a roaring fire she couldn't see past what she _couldn't_ do to what she _could_ do, and she would secretly desire for what she couldn't have.

**You can't be Eri. You'll never be Eri.**

Blinded by her jealously she failed to see the loving understanding in her friend's eyes when she told her she wasn't meant to be a designer.

She didn't see the horrified expression on her friend's face when she ran.

Ran and ran from the person she couldn't be, blinded by envy and her heart scarred by jealousy.

**You'll never be Eri.**

She _did_ see the car that slammed into her side, breaking her glasses, but even in death she thought of her friend, cold fingers clutching the cat that had brought them together.

_Did you make that?_

One shouldn't wake up from Death. She didn't want to, didn't want to wake up and know she was back in her old life, a life where she was inferior to her…

But that wasn't the case. She wasn't herself, she was someone else. A certain someone else…

_**Is this a curse or a dream come true, me waking up to looking like you?**_

Surely things would be better now, this life in Death that brought her the best gift she had wanted. She was Eri now; she looked like Eri, why not become her?

The smooth personality and actions of her friend came second nature, and whenever she spoke to her partner and he didn't react besides giving her a harsh comment that matched his dark blue eyes, she secretly broke inside, looking at the photo of her and her friend, wondering what she was doing wrong that Eri would have done right…

**You'll never be Eri.**

She had a nightmare one night when she slept beside Neku after a mission, a dream where she didn't know where she was, where she wasn't sure if she was looking at herself or Eri, and she had no idea where she ended and her friend began, but she didn't know if that was good or bad, because she wanted to be Eri, didn't she?

Silky lies from her mind that her heart already knew the answer to…

That terrible man that spoke to her, breaking past her façade to see the dreadful truth. She was jealous of her friend, surely she was, and he called it his "secret spice", was she giving him power by being…?

Of course, she may look like Eri but she'll never be her…

_**Is this a curse or a dream come true…**_

She was so caught up in her pain and confusion that she didn't speak the next day, but she didn't miss the worry in Neku's eyes, seeing past the veil for once. He tried to get her to talk, he spoke more than he usually did, and she felt guilty because she was making him worry.

She thought he didn't care, even after he tried to kill her and she thought she was going to die like she had been born, a failure, but it seemed he cared more than he showed. Maybe he had opened up and let her in, and she wanted to get to know him, but if they came back to life and he met her friend…it meant heartbreak down the road. Not worth it…

Why have her when her friend was so much better…

Upon seeing her friend, nothing surprised her more than when Neku thought he was seeing double. She ran, ran away like the coward she was, but Neku didn't mince words, and she was grateful he didn't.

**You can't be Eri. You'll never be Eri. You can only ever be you.**

It was Neku's blatant, harsh-to-be-nice attitude and her friend's voice that broke her out of it.

_I'm nothing without her…_

It wasn't the other way around? She missed her too?

She wanted to be alone for a moment, and Neku understood and left. She reached out to touch her friend, and just like she knew it, her hand passed through.

She felt a hundred times lighter. She found herself thanking God for Neku, who showed her the truth, and in his own way showed her how to accept it.

The chef Reaper was stunned to see the jealousy was gone, and now as she fought him she knew every hit, every biting, burning pain she felt in her body, and the pain she shared with Neku every heartbeat, was a step closer to getting back to her life.

_**I'm ready for a second chance!**_

Victory.

A sweet word that meant so much. But it was tainted with horror as she found out only _she_ was going back, and Neku would have to play again.

But Neku promised he'd still be her friend, and they'll meet at Hachiko later.

She'd wait every day…

_**Once you see the real me, will we still be friends?**_

**Of course. You'll always be Shiki.**

She smiled, feeling tears in her eyes, and reached out ethereal fingers to brush them against his, but then she felt the light eclipse her, and the last thing she saw for a long while was his blue eyes.

And his first, true, smile.

She took that picture and put it somewhere inside her heart, because she never wanted to forget he had finally smiled.

However, now she found herself in some sort of dark room, not at all sure what was going on. And, as fate would have it, she found Neku and Beat, Partners now, going to fight the Composer to bring Rhyme back and set things straight.

So much chaos, only increased when she felt voices in her head and she blacked out again, not even aware she was harming Neku.

Not aware that Beat was going to kill her.

_**Neku…don't kill me.**_

Not aware that it was now reversed.

Not aware that Neku had jumped in front of her to protect her, despite being controlled.

Not aware that Beat took the hit and Neku went to face their enemy alone.

She woke up, and the first thing she did was run with Beat to find him.

_**Neku…**_

She witnessed the terror of the transforming Conductor, and helped Neku and Beat take him down. But then, that strange boy with the ashen hair appeared, lavender eyes glowing, informing the Conductor he had won.

The Conductor disagreed, sending out strange wires to trap the boy and suspend him in midair, but the boy, Joshua, just smiled like it was amusing as the tendrils wrapped around him, biting into his flesh.

She was caught, along with Beat, and they were incorporated into the terrible dragon. Nothing compared to the terror she felt for Neku then, still fighting even though his partners were trapped, and she prayed for his safety.

The light around him grew, and his attacks became more frantic and powerful before he unleashed his full strength on the Conductor.

_Surrounded by light, she was reminded of an angel._

She still didn't understand what was going on, not at all, especially since Neku seemed surprised to see Joshua. She remembered he did something, and she lost Neku once again.

When she awoke, in her own room, she rushed to the bathroom to see her reflection.

**You'll never be Eri.**

She didn't want to be, because that was _her_ glasses wearing, pale face looking back at her. She had so much to do before their meeting at Hachiko next week!

Life seemed more vibrant, and she ran to her friend's house to apologize. Her friend had no idea what was going on, but she did, and she swore jealously would no longer touch her heart.

She didn't have to be Eri. She could be herself, and that was what she valued most.

Herself…

Fear. It made her heart thump hard as she reached Hachiko, watching Rhyme, (dear God she was alive), and Beat…and Neku.

They had their backs to her, but Rhyme noticed first, turning her head. Smiling at Rhyme, tentatively reached out and touched Neku's shoulder.

He turned around, still smiling, and his eyes didn't even have to move to the stuffed cat in her arms, because the first thing he said was…

**Hey, Shiki.**

To anyone watching the friends, it would appear they were celebrating something, making enough noise to sound like cannons had been fired.

And she wouldn't have it any other way. She took Neku's hand and took him to introduce him to her friend.

_**Neku, this is Eri.**_

He just shrugged, telling her friend in his rough voice,

**Do you have any idea how lucky you are to be her friend?**

~***~

_**I did this as a look into Shiki's character.**_

_**She's my favorite TWEWY character because of how she changed. It's hard to explain, but I believe hers was probably one of the most complicated storylines, the envy she felt for her friend that finally left thanks to Neku, and yes, I for one do believe that Neku having her as his Player Fee meant he loved her.**_

_**Regardless, want to drop a review?**_


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